Oh-Lay, Oh-Lay: Homecoming raises multicampus concerns

Homecoming is a time when Laurier students get together and cheer on their team in a night of revelry and loyalty.

What better way to commemorate such an event than with a T-shirt with a Golden Hawk design? That is exactly what Project Oh Lay Oh Lay, a Facebook group open to Laurier students, advertised. A free shirt is available the day before homecoming, and is to be handed out to online registrants before the game.

Hundreds of students registered on the group for a free shirt to help cheer on the hometown boys. However, when Brantford students asked how they could receive their shirts, the answer was that they would have to go to Waterloo to pick them up.

For the many Brantford students going to homecoming, plans had to be made in advance to go down, tickets had to be purchased, and trips had to be scheduled. So when it was announced that all Laurier Brantford students would need to make two trips, an outcry was sent out over Facebook and even in the campus.

Employees at the university bookstore have said that, “at orientation there was a big push to encourage the one campus mentality.” And they have banned selling Laurier Brantford wear at the bookstore as well.

Online, Brantford students have been filling the group’s wall with irate posts, such as Kelly Monaghan, “I’m all good with making the trek out to Waterloo for homecoming, but having to do it twice is pretty lame.” M.J. Garcia had this to say, “Well, that’s just great. Thanks but not really, Waterloo campus.”

And when the issues on multi-campus relations are raised, it seems as though Waterloo students aren’t very concerned when posting online, as evidenced by Brian Creighton’s post, “I’m pretty sure the homecoming game is at Waterloo, so basically all you guys are doing is trying to bum a free t shirt.”

This one campus mentality seems to have the best interests of students at heart, with a greater feeling of community being the desired outcome, but it begs the question; if something so small can become a major divide, how can the university hope to deal with the larger concerns this system raises?